This invention relates to a single dispensing surgical package containing multiple surgical suture strands.
The direct dispensing of a single surgical suture from a suture package is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,089,410. The direct dispensing of multiple surgical sutures from a suture package is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,711. These direct dispensing packages can contain either needled or non-needled sutures. These packages are great advances in the surgical suture packaging art.
It became apparent, however, that a greater need in the art is a package containing multiple surgical suture strands, either needled or non-needled, from which a single suture is directly dispensed. The suture package of this invention solves this need.
The Applicant is not aware of any prior art which, in her respective judgement as a person skilled in the suture packaging art, would anticipate or render obvious the package of this invention. However, to fully develop the background of the invention, or establish the state of the art, the following references are disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,089,409 describes winding pins to maintain multiple surgical suture strands in a suture package until the package is positioned as retaining means for the strands. U.S. Pat. No. 3,280,971 and German Offen. No. 2,754,936 describe, respectively, a retaining tube in a suture package, and retaining means on a sheet, to maintain multiple surgical suture strands in a suture package.
Also, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,487,917 and 3,363,571; and Great Britain Pat. No. 453,345 describe a single surgical suture strand contained in a suture package in a "zig-zag" or sinusoidal configuration. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,647,057 describes foam as a frictional material for packaging and for individual dispensing of needles in a package. All of the prior art described above is incorporated herein by reference.
The single dispensing surgical suture package of this invention has advantages over the prior art. One advantage is that the surgical suture strands of this invention are contained on a foam layer. Thus, means to retain the strands in the package are eliminated. Another advantage is that overlapping of the suture strands, in the concave and convex portions of the sinusoidal configuration, can occur during loading without impairing the dispensing of a single surgical suture.
Still another advantage is that the inner envelope and label of this invention remains in one piece after opening. The proliferation of packaging materials within the immediate area of the surgical operation or other surgical procedure is therefore reduced.
The suture package of this invention can contain a multiple of identical sutures. The package can also contain a combination of different needles and/or sutures which can be identified, e.g. by color, for different surgical procedures.